Kinzinger visits district nonprofits

Published: Monday, Dec. 23, 2013 11:43 a.m. CDT

Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-Channahon) visited local nonprofit agencies Dec. 16 as part of a day-long tour of organizations that provide services for struggling families and individuals. The nearly 100-mile tour began in Rockford at the Rockford Rescue Mission and included stops at the Salvation Army DeKalb Corps Community Center and We Care of Grundy County.

“For families struggling to get by, the holidays can be especially difficult, which is why the work of these incredible groups is so important,” Kinzinger said. “They fill in as a lifeline for vulnerable families and individuals, and the work they do to provide a meal, a bed, or counseling for someone who would otherwise go without shows what it truly means to be part of a community.”

In Rockford, Kinzinger joined Rockford Rescue Mission Executive Director Sherry Pitney to tour the mission, an organization that has provided services to the homeless and less fortunate in Rockford for nearly 50 years. During fiscal year 2013, the mission served 164,455 meals, provided 58,767 nights of lodging, and held 10,019 counseling sessions for those in need.

Kinzinger then traveled to DeKalb to tour the Salvation Army DeKalb Corps Community Center, which offers emergency financial assistance, seasonal programs, and nutrition assistance. The food pantry, founded in 1983, is the largest in DeKalb County, serving more than 2,000 individuals a month.

Finally, Kinzinger toured We Care of Grundy County, where each year the organization assists 7,000 families with food, rent, utilities, prescriptions, and holiday assistance.

In addition to highlighting the important work being done around the 16th District to help families in need, the tour allowed Kinzinger to hear firsthand the challenges faced by these groups in their efforts to serve the poor.